In a brutal defiance of a peace agreement, bandits have killed at least 20 residents of Doma community in Katsina State’s Faskari Local Government Area, in what the local chairman describes as the worst attack in recent months.
The assault occurred in broad daylight on Tuesday, with gunmen invading the community, setting houses ablaze, and remaining unchallenged for hours until their withdrawal around 4 pm.
Chairman of Faskari LGA, Alhaji Surajo Aliyu-Daudawa, confirmed the mass murder as a reprisal attack, stating it was “the most devastating attack in the last five months.” This violence erupted despite a previously brokered peace deal between the bandits and the local community. The victims' corpses have been evacuated, with funeral rites scheduled in Tafoki town.
While eyewitnesses maintain the death toll is 20, the Katsina State Police Command provided a conflicting figure. Police spokesperson DSP Aliyu Abubakar, in a statement, said 13 persons were fatally shot.
“On Feb. 3, 2026, at about 1400 hours, a distress call was received... that some suspected bandits attacked Doma village,” Abubakar stated. “Upon receipt of the report, quickly, the DPO mobilised operatives... and responded to the scene. Unfortunately, the assailants have fatally shot 13 persons and escaped the scene before the arrival of the operatives.”
This discrepancy highlights the chaos of the attack and the challenges in establishing clear facts on the ground. The incident underscores the fragile nature of local peace accords with criminal gangs and raises serious questions about security response times in vulnerable rural areas.
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